Overture to the Destiny
by 100-series
Summary: GlanceReviver challenge entries! A collection of short stories, mostly VP2. Contains spoilers.
1. Believe in You

_**Overture to the Destiny**_

**Synopsis: **A collection of one-shots from all over Valkyrie Profile.My friends and I are participating in a prompt challenge for Valkyrie Profile at livejournal! If you are interested, please check out my profile.

**1: Believe in You**

**Theme: **Shivering Soul in the Darkness

Alicia often wondered if maybe she was just crazy. It would make so much more sense if Silmeria was really a figment of her imagination like everyone insisted. Despite her internal voice's warnings of divine retribution, Alicia had never come across a celestial being, let alone one that meant her harm. She only knew the sting of her father's hand and the threats of her keepers who promised to kill her if she did not stop acting as if she were possessed. All that she could remember was being taken away from her mother and drug to a place where no one was warm. No one... except for Silmeria herself.

Maybe if Silmeria was really just in her head, she could learn to control it, or she could just ignore it. She tried, and it never succeeded. Like always, she found herself huddled in the corner of a cold room where no one would find her talking to the voice in her head, trying to stay warm--trying to confide in Silmeria because real or not, she was the only friend that the young girl had. 

Fifteen-year-old Alicia wondered what other girls her age were doing all across Midgard at this moment, while she was talking to herself. She imagined herself dancing at her father's parties with young, eligible nobels. She thought of other girls, and how they might befriend her. They would converse things like their first kiss, who they hoped to marry, and what they would name their children. None of them would tell her to pick up her sword and keep practicing, because one day she would have to defend herself. None of them would ever take over her body and force her to do things when she refused.

But... none of them were here. Silmeria was. All of those people who might have loved her and been her friends had rejected her at the first sign of strangeness. As much as she wished she were normal, she couldn't help but be thankful that Silmeria was with her. For what if she had been mad, but without a voice within? Then she would truly be alone. Silmeria was warm, Silmeria was _strong_. She was all the things that Alicia could never be.

"What will happen?" Alicia said, huddled in a dark corner. "I mean... I know that the gods will come, but what exactly will happen to us?"

_Hrist will come as an agent of Odin, and she will try to kill you in order to release my spirit. Then we must flee._

"Your own sister would strike you down so coldly?" Alicia said this and was amsused by the idea that Silmeria's family had banished her as well.

_I have no doubt that she would feel remorse in her heart, but she holds little respect for human life, as fleeting as it is. She believes that what she is doing is to save Midgard. I hope to persuade her, but..._

"It isn't very likely... is it?" About as likely as convincing her father that she was worthy of looking at.

_No, it is not._

"What will happen to you then? If she kills me, I mean?"

_I will be recycled once more, and return to the realm of humans--this time without any memory just as Odin originally planned._

"Oh," Alicia's heart sunk. "I was thinking... maybe if it wasn't too much trouble for you, that you could just let her kill me, but if it means that you won't be able to fight Odin..."

_I will never allow that._

"I wouldn't really mind..."

_I can't do this without you, Alicia._

"...you can't?"

_If I can't save you, then who could I possibly hope to save?_

"I guess... I don't know..."

Silmeria had nothing further to say, or perhaps Alicia had for once silenced her. Though the prospect of death seemed almost inviting, she could not sleep for fear of losing herself, of simply ceasing to exist.

"Silmeria?"

A delayed response. _Yes, Alicia?_

"I have decided... that I'm going to believe in you. At the very least, that you exist and that you're really here with me. I don't know if we can save ourselves, but at least I won't be alone. At least I have you."

_...Thank you._


	2. Start Up From Prolonged Darkness

**Start Up From Prolonged Darkness**

**Theme: ** Dipan Time Machine

The fields of Asgard burned with white hot flame. The Einherjar battled, though this time, they knew that they would not be revived come the morrow. There would be no more mornings, no more of anything. Why not fight, then? Death awaited them either way. So they followed their Valkyrie maidens into one last ordeal, one so brilliant that all of the lives lived out in the past would pale and become meaningless. Here they would be defined and leave their park for whatever manner of existence may replace this one.

Their king of the past twenty thousand years stood at the top of his crumbling palace. He had postponed this day for as long as was possible, but it had come after all. Peace was not something that was meant to be everlasting, and the longer it was preserved, the more violent the collapse of it would inevitably be.

A flash of light and corporeal fathers, and his trusted ally appeared at his side--Lenneth Valkyrie, chooser of the slain. She did not kneel, for though the king hardly resembled the brash young man he had once been, he still had no fondness of formality.

"Lenneth," he crooned calmly, never turning from his view of the massacre. "What news from the battle field?"

She spoke slowly and regretfully. "With Silmeria lost, our forces have been driven back. Soon goes Hrist and her battalion as well--resigned to their defeat, they march on. Freya weeps and cannot be consoled--her power is gone. I regret to inform you that there is no hope for Asgard this day."

This news phased him little. Both of them were already fully aware of that. "And Midgard?"

"Gone, my lord," Lenneth replied bluntly. "The roots of the world tree hath ripped clean from the soil of Midgard. It crumbles into the void beyond the tree. All that remain are the dead."

He quietly turned. "You have served well, Lenneth," he said. "This world has lived a good life, it has enjoyed a long and prosperous existence thanks solely to the efforts of you and your sisters, but like all things, it must come to an end. There is nothing to regret, and there is but one task left for you."

"What are your orders?"

"Lenneth," he replied. "Go to Yggdrassil and climb it to the top. There you will find the core of the world--the spring from which my own powers were drawn those many millennia ago."

Her eyes widened as she watched him say this. He then smiled kindly, expressing his contentedness as well as his fatigue. "What shall I do there?" she asked.

"I don't really know," he sighed, shrugging his shoulders and suddenly becoming the youthful and tactless young man he hadn't been in thousands of years. "Once, I met another Lenneth who was yourself from another course of time. She called herself creator, and she had unbridled power to reform the universe. The way will open up for you and the spirits of your sisters. This is not the end, you'll see. You will be the creator of a new world, and a new time altogether."

"And what of you?" she asked frantically. "What will you do? Will you not accompany me to the end?"

"I'd love to, Lenneth," he jokingly replied, "but unfortunately I can only think of one way of disposing of my power that will not interfere with your mission." Before Lenneth could dutifully object to the suggestion, he held out his arm to her, grasping the treasure, Gungnir. "Take this," he said. "And the Dragon Orb, the Sylphan Bow, and the Demon Sword Levantine. Take all of them to Yggdrassil and have the world undone just as it was made."

"I swear upon my soul that I will complete this task," Lenneth promised, crossing her arm across her chest.

"Let it be done."

- - -

The world of Midgard was indeed crumbling. It was dissolving away--all of it. The sea drained into nothingness leaving abysmal chasms behind. The sun had been extinguished, and the moon lost its swing in the sky. The fallen king of Asgard lit his path by means of his own power, the last stabilizing force now present in the world of Midgard. He laughed aloud to find that the royal underground path was still there, and served as the only passable way into what had once been the kingdom of Dipan.

The tunnel was so old in the eyes of mortals that it had been covered, recovered, excavated, and covered again many times. Still, it was oddly nostalgic. He would have never imagined that he had such an emotion left in him after everything, but it was there. Longing and loneliness were there, persistent as ever.

The castle was similarly preserved, as if the contraption deep within its dungeons was alive, breathing, and fighting to live on. Perhaps it would. It was still there, still glowing, still humming with a pulsating rhythm. He understood that it was very much alive. Possibly, it had always existed, and had merely been given physical form by the humans--a tangible husk for something that existed outside of time and space, like a human body to house a soul. All that mattered to him was that it still worked, and that he could use it.

His power, once removed from this world, could be made freely available to the Valkyries--Lenneth that was, since the others had fallen. They were the true masters of this world. He had always been nothing but a steward of the throne of Asgard. He knew that he could never move on with the others, even if Lenneth were to grant them new lives in a new world. Someone had to go down with this sinking ship, and he volunteered. The idea of completely losing one's existence had once frightened him so badly that he would grow delirious from sleeplessness, but now it had an undeniable appeal. Not that there hadn't been plenty else to lose sleep over during the past twenty thousand years.

Like a girl who continued to appear in his dreams offering love and affection though he begged her many times to please stop haunting him. Like the happy faces of that same girl in reality as she was reborn countless times into lives of bliss and joy, as she married and bore children and experienced all of life's offerings--without him. Without any need for him.

The world itself had no need for him.

He stepped into the center of the machine, the maw of the beast, and realized all at once that he had no idea how to operate it. He had grown so accustomed to having the knowledge of the universe readily available that it had never occurred to him. Not the best time to be looking for an instruction manual, oh king of the gods.

It proved unnecessary. The machine activated of its own accord as if it knew where he must go. He entrusted himself to its will.

As his body twisted out of the natural flow of time, he felt pain so incredible that he thought he would lose himself to it. Only once before in his long life had he ever felt such intense pain--the removal of the Mylinn ring which he still wore on his left hand. It felt so long ago, the life when he feared that abysmal suffering. Now he only welcomed the sensation, feeling no worry or regret. If the machine tore apart the fabric of his body and his very soul, then he would at least go out while recalling the memories of his time with her.

- - -

Sunlight sprayed through lush green branches over a cobblestone path. Cool, sweet water gushed through an old wooden mill covered in moss. He could not find his body as he hovered only half-aware over the peaceful town, but he knew exactly where he was, and when. If this entire time-line had been created as a result of one man's travel into the past, then why was he still in his own world, albeit thousands of years ago?

His memories, even those which had been miraculously preserved began to fade. He found himself unable to recall his own name, or the name of the young woman that he loved. All that he could hold onto was that amazingly warm feeling of being absorbed by her spirit, his short-lived career as her Einherjar.

The cycle of rebirth which he had long abandoned all hope of joining opened up to him. He knew then that each of those men he had envied and loathed, each friend and partner, each companion for the walks of life who accompanied her in his stead--each of them had been a reflection of his own soul all along. He would continue to exist alongside his former self, the king of Asgard.

It mattered not whether this was the will of the machine, which sought to repay him for the twenty thousand years he had guarded it; or simply that his role in fate's mechanism was too large to be entirely removed, or even if it were simply a fluke result of the Mylinn ring's power in conflict with the wheel of time--a lucky accident attributed to an old charm. He would never know, and would never have a need to know.

Without the slightest bit of reverence or fanfare, the king of Asgard and his experiences of several millenia flickered out of existence.


	3. Until the End Comes

**3: Until the End Comes**

**Theme:** Restless Soul of the Damned  
(Just to clarify, this takes place in the original VP world, but in the VP2 timeline. In other words,the history of Lenneth's world where Lezard wasn't running around in Dipan. Funny that I was writing this just as Flamuru posted one revolving around the same scene. XD!)

- - -

Crimson flame spread throughout the chamber. The magical lattice which held Alicia and Hrist in place gave way. Alicia retained consciousness as she was released, and fell to the floor. Rufus struggled to his hands and knees, having not even the strength to crawl to Alicia's side.

Both helpless, they watched as the Lord of the Undead flew into the sky, taking with him the crystallized figure of Silmeria. They were blinded by an explosion which pushed them both against the walls.

Alicia felt herself feint for a moment either from the rush of power, or from the impact against the wall. When she cleared her head again, the castle was silent. There were no ethereal lights or magic circles, only a ray of sunlight which broke through the destroyed window overhead.

Through great effort, she raised her head and looked for her friends. She found only Rufus, sitting up near her, seemingly unharmed. He was curled up, arms around his knees with his head down, eyes staring ahead as if he were in a trance. "Rufus!" she shouted, and reached for him on her hands and knees. "Are you all right? Where is Dylan?"

"Gone," he replied.

"Rufus?" Alicia repeated softly. This wasn't like him at all. Wasn't he concerned for her safety as well? Wasn't he upset? She wished that he would at least yell in anger as usual, at least to confirm that he was still there. It was then that the incredible emptiness grabbed her. Silmeria. Her body began to shake. "They took Silmeria, didn't they?"

"No," Rufus laughed bitterly. "It was Brahms who took her, not the Gods. Our own ally, Dylan."

"But..." Alicia began, and in her confusion and desperation, she grabbed his arm. "But how can that be?"

"How am I supposed to know?!" Rufus shouted loudly, flinching at her touch. Alicia backed away, but was somewhat relieved that he had let it out. She took a deep breath and so did he. "I'm sorry," he said. "There is nothing that we can do. After everything we've done, I'll be Odin's slave forever. I... I'd rather have died." He clenched the fist of his right hand and looked at the ring that he wore. Alicia wondered if he contemplated removing it, and what she could possibly say at this point to argue against him him.

"Silmeria..." Alicia said. "She's really gone..."

"At least," Rufus pointed out gently, "you're normal now. I mean... you're not in my position any more."

"How can you say that?" Alicia retorted loudly, then realized that she had lost her head as well. "Rufus, I... not like this. Not at the cost of Silmeria's life. And the Dragon Orb... we have nothing left with which to fight the gods."

They were silent, both considering this. Finally Rufus rose to his feet, then extended his hand to help her. "Let's think a little while," he said. "I don't know... maybe we could find Brahms... get Silmeria back?"

Alicia looked up, mystified by Rufus's ability to remain positive even though inside he may very well be contemplating killing himself just to spite Odin. Her eyes fixed on the hand extended to her.

"Unless... you don't think I'm reliable enough?" he said, and forced a smile.

Alicia returned the favor, and not simply out of an obligation to do so. She took his hand, and together the two left Dipan.

- - -

After long months of searching, Alicia and Rufus discovered the location of Brahms's castle. The manor possessed by the Lord of the Undead lay far to the west, across the sea. They chartered a boat for the mission, but had their doubts that the captain and his crew would do little more than drop them off and run for it.

It did not matter. During that time, Alicia's heart was pulled in two. Her ill-fated partner became ever dearer, while the emptiness in her soul where Silmeria once resided threatened to consume her. She knew that she could not live without hope of saving Silmeria, but could not bring herself to leave Rufus alone, hopeless. To repay such loyalty in that manner would surely damn her in her next life. She knew that Rufus, too, thought of dying; and put off his demise only for her sake.

As they fought through the halls of the haunted castle, Alicia thought of Dylan, one she had called friend. He had been loyal, both to herself as Princess of Dipan, and to Silmeria, the Valkyrie. She had thought of him as her closest protector, and now... Was Brahms really Dylan?

They ran into the throne room, a long corridor empty except for one chair, and one soul who sat upon it. Brahms was enormous like Dylan, had dark skin tanned and scarred like Dylan. His hair was long as well, but it shot up wildly around his scalp. His eyes were black pits lit by blazing crimson irises. Even so, Alicia thought that they were noble and gentle like Dylan's.

Rufus kept his deadly aim trained on Brahms, but Alicia's eyes followed the marble columns of the room's structure up to the arching ceiling. There, high above her reach, Silmeria's prison was hung like a decoration. Alicia, for the first time, saw her alter-ego's physical form--so very like her own, but much more beautiful. Her helmet was gone and her golden hair fell about her face. Her eyes were closed. On her face was such a calm expression. Her colors were muted by the cold icy blue of the crystal seal that surrounded her.

Alicia weakened in her knees and fell. "What have you done?" she cried to Brahms at the end of his hall. "Why do this to Silmeria?"

Brahms stood and began to approach them. "My heart aches as much as yours," he explained. "Yet... it cannot be helped."

"Hold it," Rufus said, pointing his arrow at the undead lord. "Don't think that our former alliance will keep me from firing. We are far past that, my friend!"

"I understand your grievances," Brahms replied. "For failing Silmeria, and likewise for consuming the body and soul of one of my own subjects, I deserve far more than your hatred."

"What happened?" Alicia asked, rising to her feet. Rufus stood squarely between herself and Brahms. She moved, still holding her sword, to see him clearly. "Are you really Dylan?"

"Silmeria and I once fought side by side," he explained. "When I was struck down, she and her Einherjar, Dylan, saved my life by fusing my spirit with his. Dylan sacrificed himself so that I might be reborn inside of Alicia along with Silmeria and the rest of her Einherjar."

"I never heard your voice inside of me," Alicia said. "I don't think that I did."

"I tried to remain dormant as often as possible," he replied. "You might even say that Dylan and I are similar to Silmeria and yourself."

"And what about Silmeria?" Rufus demanded loudly. "Why are you keeping her locked up in your throne room like some kind of trophy?"

"I attempted to save her from the Sovereign's Rite, but in doing so, I fell prey to the goddess Freya. Silmeria, in turn, attempted to save me. Freya trapped her spirit in that seal instead of my body. I do take responsibility for this, but do not mistake it as ill will towards Silmeria."

"Fine, then why did you abandon us?" Rufus retorted. The arrow strung on his bow threatened to fly free. Alicia touched the hem of his cloak to calm him. Brahms watched and took special interest in this.

"A battle between Freya and myself at that place would have killed you both," he explained. "Silmeria wished for the two of you to remain safe, if nothing else."

Alicia's heart twisted at that. Silmeria had always cared for her, wanted to protect her. She took a step forward. "Why here, then?" she asked. "Why have you kept Silmeria here?"

"I have brought her here for her safety," Brahms explained, "for your own... and for that of Midgard."

"To save Midgard?" Rufus spat. "How?"

"My own power and that of Silmeria's," he went on calmly, despite the anger in Rufus's voice, "should be enough to save Midgard from collapse, though Odin intends on keeping the Dragon Orb for himself, and allowing Midgard to be wiped out."

"But Silmeria," Alicia said, "she is stuck in that crystal..."

"Even if I could break the seal," he said, "she lacks a mortal form now that she is separated from you. She would only disappear into Odin's hands. Even if not, I could only free her at the cost of damaging Midgard on a dramatic level."

"So," Rufus sighed, "We can't get her out of there..."

"Not unless you would like to see Midgard fall," he replied. "If we could somehow aquire the Dragon Orb, its power would suffice, but that is all but impossible."

"Is there any way for us to defeat Odin?" Alicia asked. "Silmeria continued to hold onto that hope, so there must be a way!"

"She had hope in Rufus," Brahms replied. The half-elf was surprised to hear this and his eyes widened. Brahms went on. "She hoped that he could aquire the power to oppose Odin. That is why she kept him under her wing, and close to you, Alicia. To train not only his body, but his spirit--to teach him the qualities of a true hero. She had hoped that both of you would someday grow strong enough to follow her into such a battle."

Rufus lowered his weapon at last. "That sounds like her," he said. "Pulling my strings until the end."

Though Rufus grew quiet in defeat, Alicia clenched her fists and stomped her foot firmly into the ground. "Tell us how to aquire that power!" she demanded.

Brahms did not respond immediately. He watched her sadly, a deep emotion stirring in his monstrous eyes. "The world tree, Yggsrasil," he said at last. "At it's top, Rufus may make himself a vessel of its power, just as Odin once did."

"That ought to piss him off," Rufus chuckled. Then, his face fell. "But... that's impossible. Humans are unable to enter." As Alicia turned to him, he clapped a hand on her shoulder. "Alicia... stay here and guard Silmeria. I'll go."

"No," Alicia responded. "I'm going with you. I'll find a way to get through."

Rufus was taken back by this. "But... don't you want to stay with Silmeria?"

"I have to get the Dragon Orb in order to save her," Alicia replied. "Surely once the Dragon Orb is in our hands again, I can find some way to lend her my body again, then we will all be as we want to be!"

"Your heart is kind," Brahms said, "but such optimism is naive. To venture into Asgard means to throw your life away."

"I always thought that I wanted to be separate from her, but now I know... unless I have her with me, I don't think that I can go on. I have to try to save her. She would do the same for me... she already has." She looked at both of them in turn, ending with Rufus. "Besides, I... I won't let Rufus go alone. Together, maybe we can somehow find a way."

"Alicia," Rufus sighed with a heavy heart. He had learned to know better than to think he could argue with her, however. "Fine. Let's go together. At least as far as we can."

Alicia looked to Brahms. "And you'll protect Silmeria?" she asked. "Will you always protect her?"

"Yes," Brahms replied. "I swear to be at her side until Odin is no more."

Alicia smiled warmly. "I trust you," she said, and looked up once more at the imprisoned goddess overhead. She raised her hand, waving goodbye. "Sleep well, Silmeria. I will be back for you soon."

"Yeah, we'll be back alright," Rufus agreed. "You'll be a valkyrie, and I'll be a god. Sounds good to me."

- - -

Brahms watched as the two young ones left to begin their journey. He knew that what they searched for would bring them nothing but certain death. There was no hope. Such naive hearts would never understand until they had passed the brink of death.

_Why didn't you stop them?_

He returned to his throne, wondering if that voice was really there. More likely, it was his madness. Nevertheless, the voice deserved an answer. "As if I could persuade them against it," Brahms replied. "Your Alicia is as stubborn as you are."

_You knew that they would die, and yet you gave them that information which I had hidden from them?_

"Yes," he answered. "Forgive me, Silmeria. I believe... if they must die, then we can at the least provide them a worthy cause to die for. We must allow them to grow strong, though it may cost them their lives. Let their souls not be damned as ours have been."

_Brahms... It is a long time until Ragnorok._

"Yes," he replied. "Yes, it is."


	4. What I Would Do

**4: What I would Do  
****theme:** For you, Lady Valkyrie

_Hrist (Arngrim)_

I never thought of you as much of a lady, _Lady_ Valkyrie. I'll admit that you're easier on the eyes than anyone else I've worked with, but that was just a perk to the job. It didn't mean anything. I'm just a man, but you were never as simple as a woman.

Vows and honor aren't my thing, in case you couldn't tell. I did it for the money. I did it to keep my own ass out of the fire. At first I wasn't even going to go with you, then I thought being the gods' lap dog might a pretty gratifying position. What was the other option? Reincarnation. Living the same miserable life over again.

I'd split a keg even if you did most the drinking. I'd split the bounty even if I did work. I'd kill a sweet girl's father right before her very eyes. I'd call you "boss."

_Lenneth (Lezard)_

Oh, my Lady Love...

For you, I sold my soul to Queen Hel (and got quite a bargain for it, considering). For you, I killed and warped the living (which is really a step past just killing them isn't it?). For you, I transcended _time itself (_surprisingly fragile, is it not?). For you, I fused my soul with that of Odin himself (I feel tainted, to tell the truth). For you, I created an entire world full of incredible beauty and power.

For you, I gave my heart completely.

But you accepted _none_ of it.

What would I _not _do for you? What must I do for you? You say that my heart is such a wretched thing, that I have much to learn of love. Do not _lie, _Lenneth Valkyrie! Despise me, ignore me, but do not _lie_. If I were a kind and well-behaved man, your eyes would never have fallen on me, not even in spite and disgust. Loathe me, hate me.

I regret nothing.

_Silmeria (Brahms)_

Once I held a magnificent sword, one forged in truth and bathed in light. That blade was broken against the steel of a God. My soul, now cursed, is dark and twisted. There is emptiness, and there is fury. The sword of light is now a blade of the damned, which can no longer cut through the veil of evil. My power shakes the earth and threatens the land.

I would allow you wield me, Lady Valkyrie. As your weapon or your shield, my power is contained. It is focused, it is honed. I know only then that my aim is true, that my enemy is that of the people, of the light.

I would remain by your side against the Gods, against time itself. I would stay with you in the vast halls of the damned, or in the small shell of a human body. I would die for the hope that we may fight once more. But first... let us rest.

_Valkyrie (Rufus)_

Strange... you are Alicia, and yet you're Silmeria too. You are beautiful and bright with purity, like both of them. You are also Hrist with her stubborn nobility, and Lenneth with her knowledge of the creator. I can only imagine what goes oln inside your head. It sounds like fun. I wish I could be there, but it looks like I hoped for too much.

I could have dealt with that, you know. I understand. I could have accepted rejection, but this...

You kissed that silly ring again. You gave me hope and twisted the knife.

For you, Lady Valkyrie, I would live the life that you gave me, though the warmth has faded away along with you. I would continue on. I'd tame the very land Asgard and live without any hope of rebirth just as I always have. I would bear the emptiness to save you from it. I want to say it's not even hard, but I'm lying. I'd do it for you.

- - - - - - - -

(Okay, so, for some reason... not so proud of this one. XD I seriously suck at writing all of these characters. OH WELL. IT'S A CHALLENGE. That's what practice is for!)


	5. Someday, Together

**Someday, Together**  
GlanceReviver theme _#7: Lost Memories of a Former Life  
_Another decidedly Alicia/Silmeria shortfic with Alicia/Rufus strongly insinuated. 

- - -

There are flowers everywhere. Even the clouds in the sky seem to blossom outward continuously like beautiful white flowers. She has never seen flowers like the ones that surround this place, and yet the scent of them which permeates the air brings back a distinct memory.

She appears in this dream of hers, but not as the thirteen year old girl from Coriander. In this dream she is older, she is very pretty, she wears beautiful clothes, and she carries a sword. She likes the role she assumes in this dream, she admires her.

There is someone else there, a man who stands a good deal taller than even this older version of herself. He looks to be a good ten years older than she is--the she that is at home dreaming, at least. He's odd-looking, and not what she could exactly call _handsome--_but then again, she doesn't think that any men are attractive yetShe's only thirteen and still hasn't blossomed into that sort of awareness, though all of the other girls in Coriander seem to have done so already (either that, or they faking it rather well). She thinks that those girls would no doubt find him overly attractive. Still, the way he looks does feel her with some sort of positive emotion, and she doesn't know why. She likes his eyes and his awkward smile.

She reaches out for the man's hand and finds it pleasantly warm. It's nice here, but she does not want to stay here. She slowly becomes aware of a frightening emptiness. Silmeria is not here. This strong, older version of herself is able to exist without Silmeria, but only at the cost of a biting void in her soul that not even this wonderful person's love can fill.

- - -

Alicia awoke and sat straight up in her bed. She felt Silmeria's awareness prickle up inside of her, though the goddess was normally silent.

_What's wrong?_ she asked. It wasn't like her. Alicia had never known why a goddess would be reincarnated into a simple town girl and not someone important--you know, like a princess or something. Nevertheless, here she was, and she tried her hardest to stay out of Alicia's affairs. Alicia wished that she cared to intervene into things like homework or chores, but only when it came to this subject was Silmeria keenly interested.

"I had another dream about that man," Alicia said.

There was a short pause, then the voice in her mind replied, curiously: _Was it a nice dream?_

"It scares me," she replied. "Because it _was _nice."

_What's so scary about it?_

You weren't there, Alicia wanted to say. That would earn Silmeria's disapproval, however. "Well... he's so much older than me. I'm not normally attracted to older men."

_You aren't normally attracted to men at all, _she replied._ You're too shy to even think about anything remotely man-related._

"You know who he is, don't you?" Alicia replied, avoiding that teasing accusation. "Why don't you tell me who he is?"

_I will tell you when you are old enough._

Alicia sighed in defeat. She could try to weasel more information out of her, but Silmeria was the master of those sort of games. At least she could keep things away from Silmeria if she wanted, like the scary emptyness in her dream. Silmeria would call her silly if she knew. "Hey, Silmeria?" she asked, trying to make it sound like an unrelated subject. "Will the two of us be together forever?" It was not the first time a question like this had been asked.

_It all depends on what you mean by _"_together._"

"I mean, will you always be in my head like this?"

_Do you want me to be?_

"No offense, Silmeria," Alicia said meekly, "but if I ever do meet a boy that I like, I will feel a little weird if you're there the whole time."

_Understandable._

"But, at the same time... it might be scary to talk to a boy without you there to tell me what to say."

_I think it's better if I don't tell you what to do and say,_ Silmeria replied. _If you want to talk to a boy, just tell me, and I will go to sleep for you and give you some privacy._

"Thanks, Silmeria," Alicia said. "The only boy that I talk to is Lezard, though. He's nice, but..."

_He's a tad arrogant, isn't he?_

"Yeah, I mean... he's never bashful or shy like me."

The internal voice of Silmeria lilted playfully. _So, you like shy boys--the types who get all flustered at the sight of you. I see it all clearly now. _

"I don't think that would ever happen to me..." she answered, and looked down at her chest. It was still flat as a washboard, unlike those of all the other girls in town. Then she raised a finger to her cheek and poked a sore spot where a blemish was forming right in the worst place (of course, it was always in the worst place, wasn't it?).

As soon as she did, Silmeria's voice rose up like an old mother's. _Don't pick it. _

"Silmeria," Alicia went on, dropping her hand obediently before rolling comfortably back into her bed. "You keep saying we could be separated one day, but what does that mean?" Ever since she was little, Alicia had played with her not-so-imaginary friend. Everyone thought she was silly, attention-craved, or just plain crazy if she ever mentioned it, so Silmeria quickly became a secret. The thought of being apart from her was both liberating and frightening.

_There are two possibilities_, Silmeria replied. _The first is a magic spell which exists... in fact, I am sure that your friend Lezard possesses the ability to learn it if you're interested. It can extract me from your body and return me to Asgard._

"But that would be like killing you!" Alicia exclaimed, forcing herself to stay hushed so as not to wake her parents. "I hope Lezard never learns a spell like that..."

_I wouldn't mind, if you wanted i_t, Silmeria replied, but her voice sounded saddened by the thought. _I no longer have a mission in Midgard, and my Einherjar are sent... I would return to Valhalla and reunite with... old friends._

"You're not really much of a valkyrie when you're stuck inside of me I guess," Alicia replied, then thought that her words might have been a bit insulting. "Sorry..."

Silmeria laughed softly. It was a rare and wonderful sound. _Don't worry about it._

"So whats that second possibility?" she asked. "Is it any better?"

_When you are old enough_, Silmeria replied, using Alicia's least favorite phrase once again, _and, when you are strong enough; you will be able to give me my own form. _

"Then, would you stay with me even if we both had our own bodies?"

_I would love to._

"That's what I'll do then!" Alicia answered in a determined tone. She smiled as she closed her eyes and huddled under the blankets. "Tomorrow, you can start teaching me how."

_If that is what you desire, then I will teach you. Then, someday, we will go see that man who appears in your dreams--then you can ask him yourself just who he is._

"As long as you'll come with me," Alicia agreed, and pulled the fluffy blankets up to her chin.

_I will always be with you._


	6. Heart of a God

Well, I was gonna break ou of my usual mold and do something with Freya and Odin here, but this bunny just WOULD NOT stop biting me. So, here you go. More Rufus-centric-ness. It turned out so corny, haha.

**Heart of a God**

The path that wound up the tree of Yggdrassil had become warped out of shape. Rufus wasn't entirely sure if this was a reaction to the upheaval of Lezard's world tree, or if the place was constantly in a state of change anyway. Neither would surprise him, and in a way he was grateful. He was happy not to pass by the same exact scenery that he and Alicia had witnessed together. It had only been a few days at best since he had been here, but enough had occurred within that space of time to fill an entire man's life with experience.

He had died, for starters; and had also (sometime before or just after that, it was hard to remember) realized that the burning, pulling sensation in his heart really was that popular idea known as love, that it really did exist, and that it wasn't overrated after all. Furthermore, he learned that the aforementioned concept was incredibly warm and satisfying, but hurt like all Hel when it was taken away. The whole problem about it, he figured, was that love was temporary, and the aftereffects of love were infinite--especially if you intended on living forever.

He had all hope taken away from him, and had been made completely helpless. He failed to protect Alicia; she ended up dying for him (and all of Midgard) instead. He didn't think that was very fair of her since he'd called it first. That was cheating, really. She had stolen his heroic death scene along with his heart, and that left him with very little.

He had realized a certain unfortunate truth: that Alicia was born from Silmeria's spirit, and belonged rightly with her. This was beyond love and companionship; it was a matter of the soul. He understood, but that didn't keep it from hurting.

But even after Alicia joined with Silmeria, as well as Hrist and Lenneth, as a single being--after her voice and her mannerisms had changed, and after he was sure that she was gone for good--after all of that, she still smiled at him, and touched her lips to the ring she wore. That feeling had been strong enough to supercede the thoughts of the goddess of fate, so that had to mean something, didn't it? It had to be some kind of hope. It was like she was saying "Hey, I still exist in here." Or maybe she was even trying to say "I wanted to be with you too, you know?" Well, really... her words probably would have been somewhat better-chosen than those in his head, but that was the basic idea. That was the gist of it--either that, or he was crazy.

Maybe he had imagined the entire thing, but even if so, it was enough to keep him on his feet. Oh, he had cried for a while at the foot of the crumbled tower, all right. He had cried right in front of Arngrim and the big guy hadn't said anything. He just waited there until Rufus stood up without shaking and turned to pick up what was left--the meager offerings that Alicia had left him: a ring and a spear. Somehow even gifts like the Ring of Mylin (eternal life) and Gungnir (absolute power) seemed like bad mystery grab-bag prizes from Solde's market compared to what he had grasped for a moment there--for a very brief moment.

Gungnir was now in his left hand, the hand where he wore the ring now, as if he was a married man or something stupid like that. It looked silly, but whatever. With the cumbersome spear in tote, he pressed through to the top of the world tree, through the vines and the twisted roots of silver, finally to the place where there was a chamber containing the knowledge of the gods.

He wasn't too impressed by the feeling that surged through him as he stepped inside. He had died here, and compared to that feeling of enlightenment within his cute little pseudo-valkyrie's warm bosom, the knowledge of the gods wasn't all that it was cracked up to be.

He stepped to the center of the chamber, the very center of the tree Yggdrassil, and and held out his hand to receive the much-talked-about "wisdom." He touched the crystal that stood there, half expecting it to pop him like a door knob charged with static electricity. Instead, he found that it was incredibly smooth to the touch and warm as if it had been left in the sun. He wrapped his hands around it, seeking out that warmth. It was like a fragment of hers, somehow left behind in this place.

The sparkling light which sprayed up from the center of the world tree like a high-pressure geyser wrapped itself around his hands and then his wrists and arms, forming fluid ribbons and veins of stardust over his skin and clothes. Where it touched him he felt amazingly warm. It was like becoming and Einherjar again; and not just Alicia's einherjar, but the entire universe's einherjar. Something huge and mystical like that, anyway.

"Welcome halfling child, son of elf and man," a woman's voice said to him.

He started at the noise. It had no real source, it came from all around him in the air. "Who is there?" Either he was crazy (which was starting to look like a strong possibility) or that voice sounded just like the alien sound which had come from Alicia's mouth after taking the valkyrie spirits into herself. His heart jumped at the small hope it presented. "Alicia?!" he shouted.

"She has gone, my Einherjar, as have the others--gone to the world of man. I am all that remains here. What I am, only those who drink of this fountain may understand."

"Gone to Midgard?" Rufus said slowly, because that was really the most shocking thing about her little speech. "To be reincarnated?"

"Aye," she replied. "My poor Einherjar, all that you loved has returned to the cycle of rebirth."

Rufus looked at his hands, still glimmering as the essence of Yggdrassil. It was trickling down his waist now, creeping up his neck. It felt like her touch. He wanted to submerge himself in it entirely. If Alicia still existed, and she was reborn along with the others, that meant that she would be able to live happily. He might even see her again. Wonderful news.

"Vessel of the gods, vessel of the worlds, what is it that you seek in this place?"

"To become a god!" he replied confidently. "To protect Midgard!" He tried not to get too excited because this was pretty important and he was certain he would find some way of screwing it up, but it was tough. He had the power of the universe at his fingertips. He could ask for anything. Anything, he reminded himself, except to have Alicia back right now. That thought calmed him, mellowed him down. He clarified his desire in the simplest way. "I want to ensure the future that was ideal to Alicia above all else."

"It comes at a price," she answered. "The power of a god comes at the expense of your mortal heart."

"You mean," Rufus said slowly, "that by accepting this power, I will become cold and emotionless like the gods are?"

"The gods feel nothing because they must feel nothing," she explained in cryptic terms that frustrated him greatly. "Human lives are meant to end within certain spans of time. If they do not, then the grief and loneliness accumulate, while joy and love fade, until the soul is rendered impure. They become the undead, souls lost forever. Not even gods are immune to this affliction."

"I promise that will not happen," Rufus said, as he clutched his fingers against the crystal they held. He could feel the light of Yggdrassil reach his feet and brush across his scalp. He closed his eyes and allowed it to cover his face. He wished that it was her fighting against his mouth, trying to silence him. He wouldn't mind that at all. "It won't happen because my feelings won't fade," he said. "My love will keep growing, and the pain will dull over time. I won't lose my way. I promised her."

"Are you certain?" she asked. Her deep, velvety voice sounded almost disappointed. "I could numb the pain you feel. I could give you a flawless heart."

"I'm keeping my heart and taking your power anyway," he said. "That's what I'm certain of."

She said nothing more as his ears were filled, and he could hear nothing more.

He smiled to himself as his body became completely enveloped. He thought of something strangely funny, and yet couldn't laugh. She had wanted to see this, in fact that was her whole persuasive argument for coming here. Stroking his ego like that would have gotten her anywhere. She must have learned that one from Silmeria.


End file.
